1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a clutch disk, comprising a hub area designed for nonrotatable connection to a shaft and at least one friction lining element, preferably a plurality of friction lining elements, supported on a support area and arranged in sequence around the circumference.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is generally known that the friction lining elements of clutch disks can be attached with rivets to a support area, which can be formed by, for example, the radially outer section of a cover disk element of the clutch disk. The rivets pass through openings in the friction lining elements and in the support area, with the result that certain areas of the surface of the friction lining elements are removed, and thus the surface area of the linings which can contribute to the production of friction is reduced.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a clutch disk in which the friction lining elements can be attached without any essential reduction in the friction surface provided by the elements.
This task is accomplished according to the invention by a clutch disk, comprising a hub area designed for nonrotatable connection to a shaft and at least one friction lining element, preferably a plurality of such elements, supported on a support area and arranged in sequence around the circumference.
It is also provided that a circumferential support surface for supporting the minimum of one friction lining element in the circumferential direction is provided on the support area at each circumferential end of the minimum of one friction lining element.
In the clutch disk according to the invention, therefore, the idea is not to provide the circumferential support by introducing clinch bolts or the like into the area occupied by the volume of the individual friction lining element, but rather to provide a torque-transmitting connection between the friction lining elements and the support area directly at the circumferential ends.
For example, it can be provided that an individual circumferential support area comprises a support edge or support surface on the support area, which extends in the radial direction from the inside toward the outside. In this way, a connection with a relatively large area which pulls in the circumferential direction is obtained which does not impose undue stress on the friction lining elements. The support surface or edge can, for example, be provided on a disk element forming the support area.
So that the friction lining element can also be secured in the axial direction at the same time, the minimum of one friction lining element has a retaining recess extending in the radial direction from the inside toward the outside in at least one of the circumferential end areas, into which recess the part of the support area which forms the support surface or support edge fits.
In an alternative design, the friction lining element has a carrier element and a friction lining on at least one of the two axial ends of this element, the circumferential end areas of the carrier element being supported in the circumferential direction on the support area. In this design, therefore, a direct action of the support area on the friction lining elements is avoided, with the advantage that the friction lining elements can be designed with greater freedom with respect to the materials of which they are made.
To be able to reduce the occurrence of frictional vibrations induced by possible local changes in the coefficient of friction at a pressure plate or a flywheel, especially when the clutch is slipping, it is proposed that at least one circumferential end area of the carrier element be supported on the support area by way of an intermediate elastic damping assembly.
The friction lining elements and the support area can be held together, for example, by providing the support area with recesses, which extend radially from the inside to the outside, in the parts of the support area which support the carrier element, into which recesses the circumferential ends of the carrier elements fit. It is advantageous for the elastic damping assembly to comprise elastic material in at least one recess.
So that the friction lining elements can also be secured in the radial direction on the support area in the clutch disk according to the invention without the need to introduce clinch bolts or the like, a radial support arrangement for supporting the minimum of one friction lining element on the support area radially from the outside can be provided.
A design which is especially easy to realize can be obtained by designing the radial support arrangement so that it comprises the two circumferential support surfaces of the support area assigned to the circumferential ends of the minimum of one friction lining element, where at least certain parts of these two circumferential support surfaces converge toward each other as they proceed radially from the inside to the outside. As a result of the circumferential support surfaces which approach each other as they proceed radially toward the outside, ultimately a clamping effect for the friction lining elements is produced in the radially outward direction.
Alternatively or in addition, however, it is also possible for the radial support arrangement on the support area to comprise at least one radial support section which extends over the minimum of one friction lining element on the radially outward side.
The present invention also pertains to a friction clutch with a clutch disk according to the invention.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.